attire and accessories. They named the 11 ant children after their own grandchildren, and the teacher Ms. Amy and chaperone Mr. Tim after two real-life Michigan educators — Fig. 7. They entered their grouping in the Public Installation category because “the setting is part of the meaning behind the piece,” Don explained. “If you change the venue, you change how the artwork is perceived.” Don Rau had been around metal and welding during his entire working life — he sold steel for 12 years prior to retiring — but said he “had to turn 60” before starting to weld himself. He and his wife run Betsie River Centennial Lily Farm near Thompsonville, Mich., a family farm that includes their art studio. Many of the works they create are designed as garden art, with Dianna creating fused glass pieces, hand-painted bells, and photography, while Don produces welded steel and stainless steel sculptures that often include glass accents. Don uses a lot of A36 mild steel since “it’s intended to rust because most gardeners like rusted metal,” and stainless steel for the opposite reason. While he owns a GTAW machine, he doesn’t yet feel proficient at it, so primarily uses GMAW with 75% Ar-25% CO2 shielding gas. He cuts everything with a chop saw or plasma arc cutting machine, although he’ll use his contacts in the metal business to laser cut many of his stainless steel pieces. The bodies for his Field Trip to First Park Church ants were made from thinwalled tubing and steel hemispheres. Structural tubing became the legs. Stainless steel nuts were transformed into the creatures’ eyes and he made some eyeglasses out of stainless so they’d be more noticeable. For the hair, he drilled holes all over the heads, then pushed 3⁄32-in. GTAW filler rods through them. He then bent and cut the rods to the length he wanted. So are the Raus done with Art- Prize? Don said yes, but Dianna said she had come up with another idea, so time will tell. Additional information is available at betsieriverlilyfarm.com. Anthony Jackson Professional welder Anthony Jackson of Lake Odessa, Mich., has entered a sculpture in the 3D category of every ArtPrize since the competition began. This year’s sculpture, The Bird Cage, was exhibited outside the B.O.B., and it was Ron Lichtenstein who told us it was a piece we shouldn’t miss. The 10-ft-tall sculpture is an elaborate bird cage with a mythological bird atop that acts as a weathervane (although for safety reasons, Jackson had to anchor it during the time it was on exhibit). After fabricating the piece, he had it sandblasted and painted. Inside are two seats and four bells made from old oxygen tanks. “I’m not a musician,” he jokes. “Musicians have told me one of the bells is flat.” The Bird Cage reminds you of a gazebo, and Jackson said his goal was for people to want to step inside it. Jackson began welding as a career in 1977, but had been using welding equipment and other tools on his parents’ farm long before that. Today, he works at Automated Process Equipment Corp., a company that makes equipment for the pet food and other industries. His welding training has been on the job. “I have taken one short course in a community college when I needed 42 WELDING JOURNAL / MARCH 2016 A
Welding Journal | March 2016
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